endNOTE
by Kazu Darktoro
Summary: A Death Note, hidden by Light Yagami, is found three years after his death at the hands of the Shinigami Ryuuk. A young L School graduate named Oka finds it, buried in an abandoned house she frequents. Can two L students continue Kira's legacy...
1. Discovery

--endNOTE--+

_Page 1-- Discovery_

_Kira's power was banished that sad, fateful day. The first three months where the killings stopped, it was all over the Net... TV... anywhere you could find, it was Kira's absence people were talking about. People claiming they killed him, that they saved the world from the fearsome deathwatch of Lord Kira. But had Kira truly left this world, at the peak of his domination? Light Yagami created the image of Kira-- His ideals and abilities. But when Light Yagami died that day, on his knees before the Shinigami Ryuuku, Kira was not defeated. _

_"Shinigami, the 13-Day rule and this second one, they are fake, correct?" Near, that is, Nate River asked calmly._

_Ryuk laughed. "Hyuk hyuk. Of course. You can get rid of them if you really want.That just means the fun's over, I guess."_

_Near immediately had Commander Rester burn the two notebooks on the spot. Mikami's Note, and the NPA's. The Death Note's power would never fall into the hands of evil. Near believed this... but that is not the end of the story. _

_Unbeknownst to all, Light Yagami had considered, however unlikely, that he may lose the game against Near. Of course at the time he had absolute confidence he would win, but he knew that those who did not consider all possibilities would end up defeated. He had access to the complete vault code as L. He took a cautious measure and replaced the NPAs notebook with a replica. What to do with the true one, though? He wondered. And where to hide it. It wasn't like he needed to be Kira anymore; once Near was out of the way, Mikami could continue killing criminals under his orders. And anyways, Mikami could just give the Note to Light at some point if Light wanted. This second Note... its existence was an important insurance. Hidden away to be retrieved if anything were to happen. _

_But Light died that fateful day in the YB Warehouse. He was buried secretly, Mikami died from insanity in prison, and Misa commited suicide later that year. Those who had the power, and those who could truly aid Kira's will were banished to the empty nothingness of death. The location of the second Note was never mentioned or recorded... and it would stay in the shadows of society for 3 more years... until one ordinary day in the life of a 15-year-old L-student named Oka..._

_date, Kanto Region, Japan_

Linda and Oka were best friends. They had been for many years. The two were orphans- raised in Quillsh Wammy's L School. A few years after Near was chosen as successor (unknown to the two), Linda and Oka graduated and moved out. It should be noted that "Oka" and "Linda " were actually nicknames- They'd been raised at the L School not to reveal their real names to anyone. They often referred to each other with their fake names because it was simply habit; not even Oka knew Linda's real last name.. Oka found residence with her long lost sister Ella (who has a different last name, for future reference) in Japan- and of course Linda came with her. Ella was 20, and lived alone at the time. She was glad she had remaining family, and was happy Oka had such a close and respectable friend. Because of this, Ella invited Oka's friend to live with them, though beyond this, the two never ended up connecting... and the distance between them never shortened.

"Yo, Oka-chan! Don't go spacing out on me here." Linda tapped her friend's shoulder. The brunette shook her head. "Sorry... I've just been having troubles at home lately. My sister is so mean,. y'know?" Linda smiled. "I understand that... she's not very nice to you, is she?" Oka frowned a bit. "She treats me like such a kid! I'm gonna be 16 soon, but she still acts like she's so smart just because she's a few years older!" She crossed her arms, huffing. "I don't see _her_ certificate from L School on the wall."

The two young girls sat in an old dilapidated house. You could only enter it through a broken section of fence around it. They always came here to chat. It was like their hideout. That day Oka noticed a tile that seemed.. disturbed. It wasn't worn down the same. It looked as though at some point it had been lifted... but clearly this had been some time ago. She pointed this out to Linda. "It was probably someone hiding something there," Linda said uninterestedly, "So we shouldn't take whatever's there... probably..." But the always-inquisitive Oka was already walking over to investigate. She scraped the dirt away, gripping the tile and shifting it aside heavily. She dug through the dirt a bit, uncovering a metal tin. She opened it up, unsure what to expect. And lying there was a jet black, and otherwise average notebook. Linda crawled over next to her, curious as well. "It could be a diary... but it's in pretty rough shape."

Oka didn't hear her. She had already opened the note to the first page, where a page titled "How To Use It" had been scrawled. It seemed like somewhat crude lettering.

_"The human whose name is written in this note shall die."_

_"This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name, so that people sharing the same name will not be affected."_

_"If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen."_

_"If a cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack."_

Linda read it too, over her shoulder. "...What a stupid joke." Oka looked at her, serious. "Joke?" The blonde shrugged, a smile on her face. "This 'write their name and they die' thing sounds like someone playing Kira with their friends." Oka closed it, looking down at the book. "Kira..." she said softly. There was a minute or two of silence.

"Linda-san," Oka said quietly, "Sometimes I wish it was just us, you know?" The blonde tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Oka made an unhappy face. "Some... sometimes I just wish she'd go away, you know?" Linda lowered her head slowly. "You mean like... die...? 'She'... You actually wish your sister would die?" She looked at Oka cautiously. "Isn't that... how Kira used to think?"

The brown-haired girl gasped. "No! I mean, I'm totally not like Kira. Kira was... he was an evil person, wasn't he?" Linda shrugged. "All I knew was what the police said at first. That he killed criminals and he was a murderer. It wasn't my type of interest, you know that." Her voice dropped suddenly. "But... up until three years ago, Kira was like... people thought he was God. Some still do..."

Oka was silenced again by this. She looked down at the black book in her hands. She hugged it against her chest and said nothing. Linda stood up, stretching. "Chill out, Oka-chan. I know you aren't Kira. You and I were way too young when Kira killed all those criminals." She stretched her arm out and said cheerfully, "I'm gonna head back to your place, kay? You can try and find whatever loser was messing around with spooky muder mysteries if you want. You were trained as L, after all." Oka looked up, but continued her silence. Linda headed out, and turned to wave. Oka waved back, and the blonde was lost from sight.

Oka would lay there a long time, til it was near sunset. She was tired, and uncomfortable... but... the notebook entranced her. A book like this... if it worked, it would make plenty of sense if you really believed Kira was a God. Was this like a tool of his? To punish the unjust... the sinners... Yes, that sounds like what someone would use a book with this power for. The world never truly knew if Kira was God or human, but he had killed L, so anything was possible...

She shook her head. This was just a prank, it had nothing to do with the real Kira. The real one had moved on or died, so there was nothing to worry about. She giggled. Why had she been so serious about it? She got a mischievious look on her face as she pulled a pen out of her pocket. It wasn't like her sister would _really_ die... and she could show it to Linda as a joke later. But then she stopped. Somehow... doing it seemed wrong, even for a joke. "... Look," she said aloud, to no one but herself, "If you can't stop being paranoid about psychic killer stuff, how will you be able to know it couldn't happen?" She twirled the pen in her fingers. "Let's say Ella did die. Would I be prepared to handle it?" No, she knew it would be hard. "But hypothetically, that's what I wanted. I hate my sister but... is death the right way to deal with people who make others unhappy?" _No! _Her mind yelled that this was terribly wrong, but another part within her said: _You've been trained. You could easily slip out of people's grasp. No one could ever imagine that Oka was Kira._ And it was just her sister. Kira killed with heart attacks, right? If she wrote Ella's name down, Ella die of a heart attack then? Oka found an alarming thought cross her mind. _It would be nice if I could write down how she would act to die. Then it would be less suspicious._ It doesn't matter if it's suspicious or not! Linda would obviously connect me with the notebook and Ella's death. _Then write her name down, and see if you can specify how she'll die. It doesn't say in the book "they'll only die of a heart attack." it just says "they'll die."_ That's true, Oka considered. _The implications of something like this could be phenomenal! Imagine how many of the world's problems you could solve with just this. There are so many ways a person could die... as long as it kills them, it should work in theory._ Hmmm. That's also probably right. So if I wrote the details and stuff after, I could probably choose when and where...

She absent mindedly flicked her mp3 player on, listened to the radio. Oka heard them mention a criminal's name. She had seen the man on TV before. Northon Valla. She looked at the notebook. It would be fun to try, she supposed. He was accused of rape and muder and goodness knows what else... an unreformable predator. She wrote in his name idly. No point specifying his death, since it didn't seem important. From what it said, it would take effect right away if she didn't write a cause. She leaned against the wall, sighing. Criminals... didn't they ever learn? The song they were playing was interrupted a few moments later. _"This... this just in! Northon Valla, wanted criminal accused of rape and muder on several counts, has crashed his car into a wall on the freeway while being pursued by police! The cops are closing in on him but... he appears to be dead! How di--" _She pulled the earphones away, horrified. It... it couldn't be ... it was a coincidence! Could... could this simple book be the power... of Kira?!

-------------------------------

Ella heard the door close, and prepared to give Oka trouble. She had chores to do, why was she wasting every day with that stupid Linda- Oh, speak of the devil. Linda muttered a simple "Hi" and headed towards the stairs but-- "Where's Oka?" Linda held onto the banister, not looking up. "She's out. She's my friend, not my daughter; why would I know?" Ella said nothing. The young blonde took this chance to steal away upstairs and close her door. She knew why Oka disliked her sister but... "_Sometimes I wish it was just us, you know?"_ That sentence was a little unnerving. And that weird notebook... Oka wouldn't do it... would she?

"I'm home, Nii-san." Ella continued reading her magazine. "I'm supposed to be glad? It's not like you do anything useful. Geez... some stupid genius you are." Oka had expected this; Ella didn't like not knowing where she was. It was harder to find her and drag her home to do more chores. "I'm sorry, Nii-san." She bowed, began walking up the stairs quietly. As she stepped into the room, Linda looked over from her bed. She was laying on her back, lost in thought. She spent a lot of time like that, because it helped to keep her mind occupied. Her intellect was matched only by her vivid imagination. Linda said some of the L classes helped give her ideas for fantasy worlds she could visit whenever she closed her eyes. "Oka, you're back..." The brunette sighed. "I... I want to write Ella's name into the book, Linda." She felt herself begin to cry, but withheld as much as she could. If she broke down about Ella, she couldn't reasonably process how to use the notebook correctly. Emotion did not enter into proper reasoning and logic. That was one of the basics of being an L student. Linda looked shocked. "You do...? I mean, it's probably not gonna kill her but..." "I tested it today! I killed a criminal from TV named Northon Valla.I ran over what would happen if it worked and I came to several conclusions."

She fell back on her bed, taking a deep breath.

"I realized that it would have to be a heart attack for something like this book. How else would you know right away if it worked? Then... then I realized that this is what Kira knew. He also used this notebook to... to help the world." Oka smiled feebly. "I don't think me and you could be like Kira, Lin, but we might as well try and help people. We're trained and really smart..."

Linda trembled. "B-but, if they catch us, we'll be killed too!"

Oka shook her head. "This is the only evidence in the whole world! Logically since Kira disappeared, this must be his notebook. And in that respect, he must have lost it or hid it or something."

Linda's face tensed, thinking. "But... who would we kill? And how? And _why?"_

"Well, Kira killed criminals, right?"

"Yes, but... do we do things the same way he did?"

"I'm not sure... I think first we should test the Death Note on Ella, like I said I was going to."

"I... I guess..." Linda said flatly.

Oka pulled the Death Note out from under her shirt, having brought it home that way. Linda stammered, "Y-you didn't leave it where you found it?" Oka looked confused. "Why on earth would I leave it? I feel like this is destiny at work, Lin."

The blonde grumbled. "I never thought destiny would come in such a tragic form."

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Ella Nokinawa was stretched out on the couch. She was not an optimist, nor was she an active, eager socialist. She was just a slightly unhealthy woman who had no parents. Her and Oka's mother had killed herself in prison, while serving time for a charge she had later been proven innocent of. Oka's father had gone to prison for a crime he _had_ committed. He was later killed by Kira, though Ella and Oka never knew this. Ella's father was no one special- just some guy who got someone pregnant and got scared. He had disappeared and never indicated coming back. Not that Ella would liked to have met him if he had. She was glad not knowing the scumbag, and she didn't feel upset about it.

If you ever asked Ella how she felt about her little sister, it wouldn't have been a loving conversation. But you could sense that most of what Ella said came from hurt. She was hurting and it certainly wasn't her genius sister's fault. Actually, the fact that Ella took Oka in after she had left Wammy's House was an early indication that she wanted some family in the house. But Ella's anger and resentment towards the difficulty of her life was expressed clearly, and usually in Oka's direction. Oka, on the other hand, loved her sister; she and Ella had arguments, sure, but they had enjoyed rare moments where they really appreciated being family. But in recent months, the arguments had gotten darker... the gap between them widened, and Oka began spending more time with Linda. Linda and Ella had little or no relationship- despite living in the same house, the two of them barely spoke unless it was relevant or necessary. Ella bugged Linda about how lazy her and Oka were, because she didn't understand who 'L' was or what a school for him was like. Oka had attempted many times to explain that 'L' was an anonymous detective who solved crimes all over the world, and that Wammy's House was an orphanage that raised children to be potential heirs to the L name. But Ella shrugged much of this off, saying, "You want to be an _international police detective?_ Do you know how unlikely and difficult that is? They don't just raise an orphan into being a famous supersleuth."

Ella would not understand. And so Oka was determined. If Ella would not appreciate her discipline as an L-student, or try to help her, then what good was she doing? _Oka, she's your only family!_ Her mind pleaded. That fact only disappoints me, Oka responded. Linda is more family than Ella. And wouldn't Ella be happier with her parents... with mom? Oka realized that she wasn't doing this out of hate... she just knew that deep down, Ella was unhappy. That she was angry at the world for leaving her with so little. So Oka made a decision. She took the Note out and beckoned Linda over. They discussed whether the Note would allow you to control someone. If it controlled someone to kill them, then what if you could dictate the actions leading up to their eventual death? It was a simple deduction that if writing their name killed them, it was likely by simply knowing their name and face. This was how Kira had killed, so that made sense. But the Internet had swarmed with theories, including some who believed Kira could simply make someone die by will, and that heart attacks were simply a calling card to show he had judged them. No one had ever given specifics, but this was an easy deduction. Kira killed by writing into a notebook like this one- perhaps the one Oka and Linda held at that moment. "Linda... is it strange that my heart is racing? I feel almost... excited by the magnitude of this single book..." Oka's mind raced with possibilities. Linda was the voice of reason; "Before we get too excited, we have to test it first, dummy!" "Y-yeah..." Oka wrote "Ell" in but stopped, nervous. "We should write the cause of death and details first to see if it works. Otherwise she might die before I finish writing how she has to act." Linda gulped. "Th-that's true..." So in the end, Oka wrote:

_Drug overdose_

_Writes her PIN number down and leaves it on her sister's bedside table along with her last words to her sister. Writes a suicide note speaking of her deepest unhappiness, then overdoses on perscription medication in her bedroom, and dies peacefully in her sleep that night._

Oka shivered, feeling the tears well up as she wrote "Ell-a... No...ki..nawa" next to this. Part of her suddenly wanted to erase it, make it not come true. What hold did this incredible power have over her? But she felt certain Ella was prepared to kill herself sooner rather than later, and she had to test the notebook's power. She felt this wasn't a sacrifice, but actually a type of euthanasia. Her sister should't have to suffer the sadness anymore. Oka couldn't fix her life... so this was all she could give. Linda said nothing as Oka wrote it all. It wouldn't have helped to try and change her mind. So when Oka was finished, she tapped her shoulder and hugged her as tight as she could. She was scared; scared of the Death Note, of Kira, of everything. If this worked, would that mean that her and Oka were now Kira? She didn't like the idea. Even years after Lord Kira was long gone, people prayed. Just as the Christians prayed for the second coming, the Followers of Kira's Faith awaited Kira's return to judgement. But her and Oka didn't want to be gods... Oka just thought since they were smart, and had this power, they should use it to help people.

_This single act of ending her sister's sad and unhappy life would begin a long and complex journey for Linda and Oka._

_Thus another story of the Death Note begins here..._


	2. DepartureArrival

-----------------------------

_Page 2-- Departure/Arrival_

Oka and Linda had decided to add the part about withdrawing money because that wouldn't be unusual if someone was going to commit suicide. By having her write the suicide note, withdraw all her funds, and lay to sleep to wake up dead the next day, no one would link this to foul play, or to either of the innocent girls living with her. The only concern they had was where they would be living once Ella died. Oka had figured Lin would make the connections, but she explained anyways. They would take the money left by Ella and fly back to the orphanage in Winchester. From there, they could operate as Kira and no one would even notice. After all, no one knew this was how Kira killed, right? Them writing in a notebook would be perfectly normal looking. And since Kira was presumably acting alone before, then no one would think two people were using the book together.

As they lay in bed that night, Oka tossed and turned. Linda laughed weakly.. "At least it's given us something to use our brains for." Oka was not consoled. Suddenly, there was a knock on their bedroom door. Ella walked in, tears in her eyes. Oka realized she had never actually seen Ella cry; that revelation shook her. Ella sat down on Oka's bed. From under the covers, Oka saw Ella leave a letter on her bedside table, rub her hand along Oka's figure lovingly, and walk silently out of the room.

_"I wish I could have offered you more, little sister. But I'm just a failure... I let my sadness ruin my life, and I've got nothing left to smile for. I'm sorry I was always so mean... I just wanted to tell you all this before... before anything happened to me. I know you're asleep, but... I love you, Oka. I'll always care about you..Oka and Linda; Please find a new life together. I received a cash settlement for our mother's false imprisonment, and there's more than enough for you to get along until you find someone who can help. I'm sorry, sister... With love always, Ella."_ The last sentence caused Oka to break apart, and she began to sob. Linda was at her side in a moment, and she held her. It was no use telling her how to feel about it. All Linda could think about was that the Death Note was very real... and that this Notebook was a much bigger responsibility than she had actually considered. This wouldn't be the only person they would use it on, obviously.

So the real question was... could two apprentices of L do the work of Kira? It was almost like a mental challenge... And what if they slipped up and L caught them? They might sow doubts into Wammy's reputation as a top-class school... L would think Kira was raised by one of his own people. Linda decided if they were caught it would be smarter not to lie herself. Oka was smarter than her; she would have to rely on Oka to lie if they were going to be caught or needed to trick L. But they didn't even know if the L who visited Wammy's back then was the same person now... Well, they would have to discuss all this with Roger when they returned to the House. Seeing the money, Linda already knew the note was probably written up by Ella and that she was about to lay down to die, if not dead already. Lin hugged Oka tighter, feeling a few tears coming as well. The two fell asleep eventually, curled up next to each other.

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_The Shinigami Realm_

_"Hey, Ryuuk, where you off to nowadays? Nothin' much's changed since all that ruckus in the human world Kekekeke..."_ Jastin stared at the lanky black Shinigami wandering toward the outskirts. "_Hyuk hyuk_. Looks like Light left a Death Note in the human world after all, an' since Rem's dead, I gotta haunt it, don't I? _Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk_... that clever guy..." Jastin tilted his jewel-encrusted skull to one side. _"Rem died eh? I coulda sworn she had another hundred years on her... She musta fell in love with a human I guess. It happens... Disappointing though, she knew the rules pretty damn well, kekekeke..."_

Ryuuk's wings unfolded as he stepped into the portal.

"Time for more fun_, hyukI"_

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The next morning, Oka rubbed her eyes blearily. She barely remembered what had happened last night, and it wasn't until she nearly faceplanted off her bed that she realized the situation. She stood up, determined to only look ahead. She called 911 and reported her guardian's suicide. She packed her things (Linda did the same) and after they found Ella's bank card, (and some cash) they took the train to the airport. They said nothing on the way, both aware that nothing in their luggage was weighing them down more than the Death Note secured in the actual lining of the suitcase. The also were aware that this plan couldn't leave them any dwelling time. If it did, they'd be wrecks and everything about them would be concerning to the people around them. They had to get to Roger. As they walked toward the airport, Linda saw a scary figure swoop past the radio tower. But... no, she was just tired...

They bought their tickets to board the next flight to Winchester, England. There was no turning back now... It all seemed hasty but... with something like this, you couldn't stay in one place anyways. Best to keep moving and not let your guard down.

---------

Ryuuk tilted his head as he glanced around the human airport. Someone here definitely had the Death Note... and they were, unsurprisingly, on their way out of the country. He saw two girls preparing to board a flight to Winchester. He realized that their lifespans were shifting continuously. Only users of the Note could escape their predetermined lifespans, so that meant...

"_Hyuk hyuk._ Had to be girls, didn't it." Ryuuk was a bit shy around girls. All they did was hug things... hopefully they wouldn't hug him. Well, they looked young so he expected they'd be freaked out. That was better than a hug, even if he had to deal with the girly screaming. Hell, even Light had screamed, and he'd been _expecting_ Ryuuk. So screaming girls was not as bad. He flew through the ceiling, shooting toward England. He'd meet them when they were alone.

---------

"I'm nervous, Oka-chan."

"Obviously I am too, but there are cameras here. We just have to get to the orphanage and tell Roger about Ella's suicide." Linda's lip trembled. "...A-alright."

The plane prepared for departure and the two girls took their seats. This was a beginning, and an end. The plane took off, and Oka never glanced back. It had been what her sister wanted. And that was all she cared about. If worst came to worst, she could ask L about the Note when he visited the orphanage. But... no... she couldn't plan for being caught or losing her cool. Linda might be punished as well, so that was out of the question. She had to make use of the Note without allowing L to catch her and Lin. Ideally, She'd like to teach criminals to learn from their mistakes but... how would she be able to do that? Heart attacks would make things interesting, but much more difficult... L would even realize Kira had returned if heart attacks happened to more than a couple people who had no high blood pressure or previous cardiovascular problems. Then what to do...

Linda gazed out the window of the plane as water began rushing past. This was crazy... but she'd go wherever Oka went. That's just how she felt. A black shadow momentarily obscured the blue skies, and then it was gone. _Second time now... _Linda thought. _I'm just gonna sleep til we get there. God knows I didn't get much last night._

By the next morning, they were in Winchester. And by noon, they were stepping out of a cab in front of the one place the two girls had once proudly called home; Wammy's House, the L School and Orphanage. It hadn't changed a bit. Linda clicked the buzzer. _"Good afternoon, Roger speaking. Can I help you two girls?"_ Linda clicked the button again."It's Linda and Oka. You haven't forgotten about us, have you Roger?" For a moment the intercom was silent. Then; "_You'll have to forgive me, my eyes aren't great these days... just a moment, girls." _The intercom cut out and the gate swung open. As they stepped into the courtyard, the metal gates clanged shut behind them. They took in the perfectly kept lawn and gardens, feeling smiles spread across their faces.

"Home sweet home, right Oka-chan?"

"...Yeah. Home sweet home, Linda-san."


	3. IntroductionsRevelations

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_Page 3: Introductions/Revelations_

Oka and Linda stood at the gates to Wammy's House, as they swung open. Ryuk landed softly on one of the gateposts as they walked toward the main building at the end of a vast courtyard. "Hyuk, looks like cameras. If they go inside I won't be able to talk to them without them acting funny..." He flew up behind them, looming. Linda shuddered suddenly. Oka looked at her. "What is it?" "I dunno... feel like I'm being watched..." Ryuuk tried to stifle it but laughed suddenly, and the girls spun around. _Oh great, hyuk, here it comes..._ Oka's eyes widened and _she_ covered Linda's mouth. "Mmmf?!" Ryuk quickly said "Hyuk hyuk. Hullo. I'm Ryuuk, the Shinigami who owns that Notebook you've got in your suitcase." They said nothing so he continued. Light was rotting in limbo so he didn't see why he couldn't talk more now... "That Death Note is Kira's in case you haven't guessed already. Or more truthfully... _hyuk hyuk..._ it was." Oka said quietly; "Ryuk, I had hardly prepared something to say in the happening of something so supernatural." _Hyuk, she talks like that L guy._ "This is not an appropriate place. to talk. Someone might see y-" Ryuuk raised a black leathery hand. "Nope. No one can see or hear except those who touch the Notebook." Oka looked around and said. "Just follow, Ryuuk." He shrugged and glided behind them as they entered the orphanage. Roger stared at them with weary eyes. He really wished he could teach in a college or university. How did he always get stuck with children and teenagers? Loud and excessive and annoying...

Oka and Linda spoke briefly to Roger and explained about Ella's death. Roger said they were free to come back to school and live here. Oka and Linda headed into one of the washrooms and locked the door. Ryuuk walked through the door itself as if it were nothing. _Now _Linda freaked out. "W-w-w-w-what are you?!" She said rather loudly. "A Shinigami, hyuk." Oka sighed, looked at the menacing ghost before her. "A god of death? Was... was Kira a God of Death as well then?" Ryuk laughed more and decided that finally he could tell someone about Light. It was such an interesting story and all...

"No," Ryuk said. "Light Yagami, a human like you, played Kira. He used the Death Note to kill people and change the world... and stuff like that." Oka tilted her head. "But I heard L became really interested in the Kira case..." Ryuuk grinned. "Light Yagami met L in person, through some very good planning and a couple lucky breaks, hyuk. In the end though, Light Yagami killed L and became the new L." Oka gasped this time. "So Kira is L?!" Ryuk waved his hand. "Nope. Light was L and Kira for a long time, but--" Ryuk paused. This was the L School, so revealing Near's name probably wasn't a good idea. "L's heir, this Near guy, came and defeated Light about 3 years ago. I was there when it happened." The two girls had sat down, awestruck. "So Near is L?" The death god shrugged. "I don't know how the humans did it after I went back to my world, but based on how I saw things work when I was with Light, I guess they would have picked Near. He was pretty smart, that one." Linda piped up. "What happened to Kira then? Don't tell me he went into hiding." Ryuk paused once again, unsure how to go about answering that. "Light Yagami died. He was shot." That was mostly the truth. "Kira was... defeated by Near..." The two girls hadn't known him very well. He kept to himself. But Mello had always been raving about how mad Near made him. Oka thought they were the strangest kind of friends. "I gotta explain though," Ryuuk said, doing what he had done with Light, "That when you die, you won't be goin' to what you call Heaven." Oka's eyes widened. Linda suddenly looked scared. "We're going to hell?!" they said in unison. "Nope. You're gonna be stuck in limbo. Mu."

Again in unison the two girls said "We're not gonna die!" Ryuk barreled ahead. "Also, I have an option for a human who uses the Notebook. Half of your life for the Shinigami's eyes. You can see a person's name just by looking at them." He laughed. "You can see their lifespan too, but only Shinigami can convert it to human years. I can see both your lifespans right now... I can convert it right now into days... even minutes, hyuk." Oka gulped. "I bet you can't tell though." Ryuuk shrugged. "The Shinigamis have a lot of rules. Believe me, I've heard more complaints from Kira about the rules, than anyone else. Hyuk hyuk." The two looked at each other. Somehow they knew; one of them would one day need to make this trade. If this Notebook truly was Kira's, then they had a legacy that they were almost _obligated_ to follow. Oka's mouth curled upward in a nervous smile. "This sounds like fun." She admitted. Linda shifted awkwardly on the floor and said "I think so too." Ryuuk was just thankful neither of them had screamed. He hated that.

"I'll be hanging around to watch the fun, hyuk. Not like much is going in the Shinigami Realm." Linda, an established artist by trade, asked him to tell him about his world later. She was sure no one had ever drawn a place _that_. "_Hyuk! _Sure... But you humans still have apples right?" Oka wasn't listening to the two now.

"Two orphans... L students... becoming Kira." Could they do it? With this Shinigami here, it was logical to assume that they were in a position similar to Kira's. But to defeat L... Light Yagami was likely much smarter than Oka, or Linda. But together, she felt the two could do what he done. And likely in a way that would entertain Ryuuk too. She felt the smile return. She had a plan. A plan that got her so excited, she almost felt scared. The _power._

The power of death was intoxicating. And Oka, in that moment, was stone drunk with it.


	4. ResurrectionRedemption

----------------------------------------

_Page 4: Ressurection/Redemption_

Oka took the Notebook out of the suitcase and gazed at it. So plain... so unthreatening. And yet... it invaded her thoughts. She went downstairs to the TV room. The other kids were in classes or outside. She looked over. A camera had its mechanical gaze locked on her. No good. She needed a place to really revive Kira's faith. Her eyes closed and she thought.

Over the next four days, several things happened. Linda and Oka became recognized members of Wammy's House again; they were happy to see their friends still around. Second, Oka went and bought a small TV, which they had wired to digital cable in their bedroom. And a few days after...

"L." The screen flickered.

"What is it, Commander Rester?" a low, quiet voice responded.

"Please turn on the five o'clock news on NHN."

L was silent. One of the many blank monitors in the dark room flicked on with a push of the remote.

"_Police are baffled after several wanted murderers died while being taken into custody..."_

L turned up the volume, rolling over onto his side on the cold floor.

_"They are saying the victims suddenly held their chests and fell to the ground. It was a spontaneous cardiac arrest. Since the criminals were drug dealers, there are many likely reasons for the incident, however, another criminal shown a day ago who was heavily armed and holding a politician hostage died similarily. Some are already saying it is the lost deity Kira--"_

L turned the monitor off and pressed the intercom button. "Rester. Please inform me of all criminals who die in this manner in the next week. I'm calculating the likeliness of this being a coincidence and I must maintain it is only a one percent probabality..."

"Understood." The voice paused. "Near, it could just be a coincidence after al--"

L twirled a lock of white hair around his finger. "Inform me of all who die in this way in the next week."

"Alright. Rester out."

A smile crept across L's face. After three years... he felt a familiar anxiety rise in himself.

"_The lost deity Kira_..."

Ryuuk watched the two. They were enjoying this, and they were only doing it out of _courtesy_. If only Light could see. He'd be right proud of these girls, hyuk.

Oka rocked back and forth on the end of her bed. It was illogical to lose sleep over dangerous criminals, so she had been able to sleep somewhat decently. What kept her awake was an urge to judge more. Ryuuk had told of killing with disease and accidents, and Oka had become obsessed with stretching the limits of the Death Note's power. Linda was her helper, in essence. Linda didn't think she could do the actual writing. Her emotions were strong, being an artist, and she'd cry more than she would feel righteous. She didn't feel bad helping Oka, and she found Ryuuk quite entertaining as well. "...and then there's Shidou..." Oka caught bits of their heated conversation. "You guys sure are neat though," Linda said cheerfully, "So you can't die I guess?" Ryuk munched an apple happily. Light never talked to him as much as Linda did. He laughed and said "Nope. The only way to kill a Shinigami is make them save a human's life. That's what Rem told me." Oka looked over her shoulder at Ryuuk. "What happened to Rem? You mentioned her before."

The Shinigami paused and thought for a sec. Gosh, it'd really been a while, hadn't it. "_Hyuk!_ She's dead now. Kira got her to kill L to save his girlfriend Misa's life." The two stared. "Misa _Amane?? That bimbo actress?!"_ Now Ryuuk was amused. "Yup. She got a Death Note from Rem and Misa used it to find Light with the eyes. Hyuk, is she still around?" The two looked at each other. "Er... she killed herself a few years ago... I think the media said something about her carreeer being ruined and her boyfriend dying in an accident." Ryuk put his hand on his chin. "Not surprising, hyuk. She loved Kira. The two were going to get married." Linda stared, raising an eyebrow. "How in the world did Kira manage to run things so smoothly with a girlfrind like Misa Amane. That's _so_ weird."

Within the next few days, Oka had begun to reach the divine psychological level. She no longer lost sleep, (in fact she started sleeping _better_) she felt no emotions rise up while writing in the notebook, and she was not visibly nervous in any situation. However, her L-skills were making her into a shell; her personality was beginning to change, ever more slightly .No one noticed, however, but people were focused on something far more urgent.

The Lord Kira had returned, in full vengeful force.

L watched the numerous monitors. Proclamations of Kira; Kira's return; fear rising. This time, he had to make sure Kira did not gain momentum. This new killer had a Notebook, which meant a Shinigami was involved.

"Playing God. Kira is just a killer, and the world will _never _be his. Justice belongs to the people, not to you." he flew a toy space alien through the air, crashing a metal robot with 'N' written on it into the alien. The alien toy broke apart.

"For Mello, and Lawliet, and even Mikami... for all the lives Kira has destroyed, I _will _stop you. And if I can't then evil will be victorious, and the world will fall apart, beneath you. This will be the _end_ of Kira."

And so... it had begun.

------------------------

Linda stepped back, observing her masterpiece. Ryuuk laughed. "_Hyuk! _Looks just like the real thing." Her painting of the Shinigami Realm was expressive and almost made the Realm prettier than it really was. If Ryuuk had felt like being talkative he would have pointed this out, but Oka asked for their attention at that moment.

"I've found out something interesting about Near." Ryuuk blinked. "You mean the guy who became L?" She nodded. "He's already on our trail. Well... Kira's trail so to speak." She held up a newspaper article with that omnipotent 'L' splashed across the headline.

_**"L picks up where he left off three years ago in the battle against what people have unanimously decided is Lord Kira's return.**_

_L sent in a statement to the police, which said only one thing. "I am involved. This case will be deal with swiftly." The Police acknowledge now that L died some years previous, and that the world has been following the orders of a new L, no doubt highly trained. Can we trust this new detective? Only time will tell, as the world braces itself for the second coming of Lord Kira."_

Oka shrugged. "The rest of the article discusses Kira's ideals and what happened three years ago. As if there's _anyone_ that doesn't know. They just want to scare people." Linda looked at her nervously. "Kira _is _scary."

Oka narrowed her eyes suddenly. "I'm not scary, Lin."

Linda flinched. "You aren't Kira!"

Oka sighed. "Fine. I will become different from Kira. Will that make you stop freaking out? I have a good idea."

Linda and Oka would not speak to one another after that night. Not for a long, long time.

The next day, Linda was in her regular state, dreaming of worlds she had only visited in her paintings. Oka yawned, walking out to get something to eat. She never saw the armed SWAT men waiting outside the door. She never saw anything. She was blindfolded and captured. No one said a word. Roger didn't even flinch as he walked by. Kids had been arrested at Wammy's House plenty of times, usually for embezzling or hacking into highly classified computer programs. Why didn't these kids use their smarts for something useful, like making his toaster work properly again, or solving cancer? He'd never understand the minds of children. Let alone genius children.

Oka was quiet as they blindfolded her. "We have reason to believe you are Akira, the new Kira who revealed his identity during a slew of killings last night."

Oka did nothing.

"You will come with us. We are going to see L."

Oka inhaled. Exhaled. Calm. Keep calm.

"Good girl."

She felt herself sliding into a car fitted with chilled leather. It was a cop car.

Had L finally caught Kira?


	5. Chapter 5

endNOTE+++----

_Part 5: Representations/Expectations_

L smiled childishly. It had been way too easy. But an L student? He hadn't been prepared for that. Not at all. It just didn't make sense; where was the sense of justice?

He watched as the blindfolded girl sat in a chamber, restrained heavily. They had made sure she had no idea where she was. She was brunette; slim, clearly young. L spun around in his metal chair absently, the glow of many monitors illuminating him. He didn't care about hiding his voice. She would never hear him again.

L said quietly. "Oka, real name unknown. According to my research, you and Linda left Wammy's and moved to Japan to live with your half-sister Ella Nokinawa." He paused, letting her give an affirmative. She nodded against her restraints. "You lived there for an undisclosed period without incident. However," he paused again, perhaps for effect, "Approximately one month ago, your sister commited suicide by drug overdose. The next morning, you reported the suicide and took her money, returning to the orphanage with Linda." There was a sound of people muttering. "After returning to the orphanage, you and Linda had a TV with 24 hour global news installed. As soon as these things occured... strange things began happening all over the world."

She heard bare feet hitting tile as L walked toward her. "Those strange things incited the fear of Kira the world over, _but..._" He took a deep breath. "The new Akira mass murderer, distinguishes themselves by making their victims draw an A, within a circle. Followed by the trademark heart attack."

Everyone shivered.

"In light of all this evidence, you are under suspicion of being the new Akira, who has started the slew of new ki--"

"L, sir!"

Oka heard a door open. A man spoke from behind her. "Akira is speaking on TV!!" She heard footsteps, a click, and a news cast playing with the volume high.

"--_NAME IS AKIRA, HEIR TO THE THRONE OF LORD KIRA. ALL THE UNRIGHTEOUS FACE MY UNSTOPPABLE WRATH. AN ERA OF DECAY AT THE END OF MY PREDECESSOR'S REIGN COMES TO A STOP, NOW."_

Oka's shocked gasp was unnoticed. _Linda!! _Even with the fuzziness, she recognized her best friend's voice anywhere.

"_THE WORLD WILL BOW TO ME, AND ALL SHALL BE FREED WHO GO ON TO AID IN A BETTER WORL--" _The TV clicked off. L spoke first. "She is to leave. That was live. I can have the FBI on this broadcast in moments."

"No!" Oka screamed. Everyone in the room went still. "Girl, we are considering your release. We may have made a premature kidnapping." She calmly (though her voice was shaky) said, "I don't want to let Akira escape. He killed my mother." A few tears ran down her face.

There was some hushed words. It sounded like people felt bad for her. Someone said; "L, we've made a big mistake."

Near frowned. Irritated. He had been _so sure_ it would be easy this time... but did people ever listen to him without having it rubbed in their faces? He spun his chair away from the restrained Oka and said "Wherever this broadcast is coming from, the FBI will shut it down. Send her back to Wammy's. I want to be left alone, right now. Except for Gevanni." She heard someone whisper; "We're going now, Miss Oka." and several people stood straight with a dignified "Sir!" in an obvious salute.

L slammed his pale fist on the desk, then the door was closed behind Oka and there was nothing.

When Oka returned to her room the next day, she was heavily guarded. A soldier stood outside her door at all times. Oka wasn't surprised by Linda's absence. The girl had just saved her life... but at what cost?

...One other thing seemed off... what was it?

It hit her like a brick at that moment; No Ryuuk. She jumped up, tore the room apart. "No! _NO!"_ This couldn't be happening.

Linda had taken the Notebook with her, straight into L's hands.


End file.
